These are small steps for Manchester United but Ten Hag’s methods are starting to pay off
Slowly but surely, it appears Erik ten Hag’s coaching principles appear to be translating to on-field performances.
Manchester United’s victory against Everton was another example of his message being carried out effectively.
The caveat, of course, is that Everton are not Manchester City, but they were unbeaten in their previous six Premier League games before Sunday’s encounter against United. Add in the fact they had not won in front of supporters at Goodison Park since 2018 and it capped off a fruitful evening……….Continue Reading
While it is still early days for Ten Hag and there is further work to be done at Carrington, the underlying numbers behind United’s performance make for positive reading.
According to Opta, United had their highest number of successful passes, the most turnovers of possession in the final third this season, their second-highest number of total turnovers and their highest number of successful passes into the final third since the opening two games of the 2022-23 campaign.
Despite conceding more away goals (34) than any other Premier League club in 2022, United had their lowest xGA (expected goals against — 0.65) of the season against Everton, even if they did not manage to keep a clean sheet.
Manchester United’s xGA
When you consider the underlying numbers, it is little wonder Ten Hag struck a cautiously optimistic tone following the win.
“In the first half we were pressing well,” he said. “Everton did not come out and it was difficult for them to get a lot of crosses in.
